Tortorella post-game

“He was the difference. We have a chance at the end on the 5-on-3 and we don’t get it done. But he certainly was the difference.”

On the 5-on-3:

“The low play was there and Dubi shoots it wide. It was a great pass by Step. Then after that, in looking at it, there was just not enough puck movement. We are just holding onto it too much. One guy is holding onto it instead of letting the puck work. It’s something we need to work at because we haven’t scored on that (0 for 4 this season) and that’s a pretty important one. That’s something we’ve got to get better at.”

“That’s a tough team to play against. I think we developed 19 or 20 scoring chances against them. I have no problem how we played. I think we gave them one, the first one. They scored two goals when we pushed the puck up the strong side. Gilly is in a hell of a spot there as a right-handed shot left-D. I’d like to see him maybe just try and hold it and stop on the puck instead of trying to bat it. Teams that come at you, they’re going to take the strong side away. Danny (Girardi), it’s just not the right plau. It’s a play we just never make up the strong side and that ends up being in the net. But other than a couple of breakdowns there, I think we held them to eight or nine scoring chances. I have no problem with the way we played. It’s just not executing the 5-on-3 and just trying to chip out a couple of the mistakes.”

On Christensen passing instead of shooting early:

“I don’t know why he doesn’t just throw it in the net. Everyone knows with Tim Thomas, if you move a puck laterally, he’s going to be aggressive on the puck. He’s going to be diving across. I mean, it’s an open net. Erik’s just got to throw it at the net. I don’t know why he’s trying to do more on that play. You can’t look for more on Tim Thomas. You get him moving side to side, you get a chance to end up with a pretty good scoring chance because he’s so aggressive on the puck.”

I know he hustles and I know he defends his teammates. But Brandon Prust brings nothing to the table on the offensive side of the game. He is not even in Avery’s league in that aspect of the game and has no business anywhere other than on the fourth line or the pk. Avery has done nothing to warrant getting so little ice time. He has 9 or 10 pts this year a number that Prust will struggle to get to all year long. Torts needs to change them up.

I don’t know.. I’d have liked to see Avery out there on the pps. Very few people are as adept behind the net at controlling the puck and setting up scoring chances in those conditions than he is.
And you also had a graphic example as to why those really long passes should be put to rest, especially against a team like them. They are very adept at stepping in front of ( what passes for ) passes by Rangers. They still revert to that old policy of throwing the puck around, instead of making solid, stick it on to the stick blade passes as the Bruins showed how. I was surprised to see how much ice time he gave Gilroy, and how Gilroy abandoned (finally) that very careful, “don’t make a mistake” type of play that he’s capable of. And Eminger has turned out to be a stalwart for them.

Good to see these developments. I think if he sticks with Gilroy from now on, he’s growing himself a really good attacking defense man. And what a pickup that Horton was for them. He was dying with the Panthers.

I don’t expect Avery to be much help for the next few months. People magazine just named the sexiest man alive, and it’s Ryan Reynolds. He thinks they picked the wrong Canadian, and he’s taking it pretty hard.

I like Sauer. In fact, I like any d-man who is not noticeable. When they’re not noticeable, that means they’re doing great! Dredden, Blowzy, Malik, etc. Those guys are very noticeable, but for all the wrong reasons. Sauer is solid. I’m happy to see him playing that way while remaining healthy.

And this loss is on Hank, but also Girardi made a dopey play before that to give up the go-ahead goal. But, Hank can’t give up goals like that. It seems like he always does though.

And btw ORR, I don’t neccessarily want EC in Hartford messing with our prospects heads. lol…I doubt he would benefit at all from AHL time anyway. If I’m Slats, I keep him on a short leach and if he doesn’t start playing smart hockey then I trade him for picks…

My own opinion of course, but I cannot see why anyone would call Avery as having hands of stone, when observing for a number of games, how he controlled the puck against very intense checking, and set up some very important goals in the process. He doesn’t do it by strength so much as by pure puck control and opportunism. I think he’s being short changed on this.
Very low key is Eminger, but he’s rapidly developing into one of their steadiest defensemen…and Del Zotto really has to have some remedial training…he tends to go Asiatic at times all by himself, and makes some really bad decisions with the puck. Not that Roszival was playing notably poorly prior to his injury, but has it come to be noticed how overall accomplished the defense has looked since his , ah, recuperation?

I couldn’t agree more with Czechthemout!!!! . How is Avery getting less than 10 mins a game? We all no he isn’t going to score 30 goals but from what we have seen this year he has been quite effective. Give him some ice Torts!

The only reason Avery is on the 4th line is because the 3 other lines are gelling so well. Obviously Gabs/Stepan/Frolov will be 1st line. I don’t think there is any way Arti/Dubi/Cally is getting split up, thankfully. Feds/Boyle/Prust have played so well together the past 5 or whatever games so i don’t think you want to break them up. I am sure once the Fed/Boyle/Prust line starts to slow down more or if someone gets hurt Avery will see plenty more ice time.

As I have said before, EC has no guts. Instead of commenting on Avery, he should be concentrating on doing what his coach is asking of him and playing consistent hockey. There is a reason he hasn’t stuck anywhere. There is a reason he was simply waived by Anehiem. Just give that spot to Stepan already.

Avery is on the 4th line because of his antics in that Edmonton game. He is a world class a**hole. That has to be the reason. After that game, I would have given Avery the task of antagonizing Crosby (although I realize Avery has defensive deficencies). Could you imagine how upset Crosby would get with Avery in his hip pocket all game ?!?

The drum beats are commencing..the natives grow restless,
who will be the next human sacrifice to that awesome many armed creature that demands a daily pound or so of human flesh. A creature that strikes fear in all hockeyland, collectively known as THE FANS, ( along with EC of course)?

I haven’t had opportunity to sample other cities fans but the ones in NY are especially impatient for the arrival of that attribute known as ..perfection. A guy comes up, he’s thrown onto strange ice, among strange team mates, he makes a flub, costs a goal and shazam! Off with his head. Consign him to that netherworld known as ….the minors. And it’s as if with some players a scarlet letter has been permanently embossed on their uniform…loser. Very seldom from that point on does he get on the safe side of the creature, no matter what good points he may have. Tough place to play this NY.
The creature does have it’s distractors, but they are few and easily hushed.

Overall the team played a good game. That softie that Hank let in was a killer, not to mention EC choosing not to shoot at the open net. Sauer looks very impressive, he reminds of Girardi when he first came up, makes good solid plays to get out of his zone and does not get caught out of position.

Bottom line this game was a lazy effort by the Rangers. The Rangers have well enough skill to get them into the playoffs and win some series’s. At this point they struggle with what a lot of teams struggle with, and that is consistency. Even Lundqvist effort last night was pretty drab. I will take comfort in knowing that when we did show effort we were busting through one of the best defenses in the game.

You give him way too much credit than he deserves. Besides, all Aves would do is get called for a bunch of penalties. It’s smart to get him away from Crosby.

And Aves isn’t on the 4th line because of the Edmonton game. He’s been bounced around from the 3rd to the 4th for the last few games.

He’s been good behind the net, and along the boards, but that’s aboot it. He’s a gievaway machine, and doesn’t have much defensive upside to his game.

The point being, doesn’t matter how many more minutes Aves will get, he wont change the outcome.

Thomas > Lundqvist is right. Which is sad to say, considering last year we were bashing Thomas for giving up one goal in a meaningless game for Team USA, and saying how his Vezina win was a total fluke.

2 theme:
2 stupid defensive mistakes (Girardi blind throw and Gilly unskilled pinch attempt in offensive zone), 2 (which became a trademark) lazy softies from Hank, being 2 deep in a goal and 2 quick on his knees against the shots from the right circle, are 2 much against dissent and unforgiving team – it cost us a game, which is a shame, considering otherwise very good team efforts, which, unfortunately, couldn’t compensate lack of Rangers collective offensive skills.
Also, it become 2 annoying 2 me “Jagr/Rozy” syndrome, when everyone constantly try passing to Gabby , instead of shooting in obvious position.

Another topic – Hank. We all love him, rightfully so – he’s giving mediocre team chances to participate in a big boys marathon. It is of course sport psychologist’s field, but watching Henrik all this years, I’m kind of afraid there is signs of certain mental instability, hypersensitivity, combined with unhealthy arrogance, reflected in stubborn repetitiveness of the same technical mistakes and otherwise unexplainable but constant swings between absolutely brilliant plays and ridiculously soft goals against. Mental instability is unforgiving in goalkeeper’s elite club, regardless of any excuses, i.e. tiredness of a long distance, bad D-corp. in front of, or biased, partial officiating. Because on the end of the day, who cares – result is what really important, isn’t it? May be he was crowned The King a bit 2 early and celebrity crown is 2 heavy for him? I’m not saying I’m right in my judgment, so don’t kill me – I’m just asking, because it is my deep concern and worries.

Torts also thought EC should have shot, as was mentioned by another blogger. One wonders why he did not. Could be he has heard the growlings and catcalls? Could it be that he was psyched out of not acting naturally and did not want the animus of having taken the shot ( missed perhaps) and been the subject of tons of criticism for NOT passing to whomever.. ( was it Gaborik?who knows?) but there is a ripple effect concerning the highly personal criticism of several players and I have no doubt it would eat away at them, leave them uneasy or somewhat insecure.
Some of these folks use the word hate, to describe their feelings toward players. Have we forgotten that after all it is merely a game? A sport?

Turning players names into invective. At what point does it become preposterous? It hasn’t always been like this.